 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm posting this as it may be of interest to anyone with the same who wants to get back into skiing or sport.
On Thursday 11th Jan 2024 I was crossing the road on the way from one work office to another (at the request of my boss - important fact). I had my heavy work laptop in a rucksack, I probably had about 4kg on my back with other stuff. I stepped onto the pavement, turned and pivoted around falling back onto the road on my right side. It was quite early so no traffic but I was in the road an absolutely couldn't move, not even crawling. My right shoulder hurt and it was physically impossible to move my right leg. I called to a passing cyclist who stopped and helped me get out of the road and a shopkeeper who was opening up also came to help. I didn't have any pain if I didn't try to move.
After a few minutes I realized I wasn't getting up and the shop keeper called the fire service who arrived about 10 minutes later. They thought it must be muscular but took me to the nearest hospital - St Josephs in Lyon - to get examined by a doctor.
After about a 3 hour wait (now 11am) an Orthopedic doctor came and saw immediately that it was a broken femur in my right leg . I was sent up for x-rays. At 2pm she came by and said they'd try to operate at the close of business. It was a pertrochanterienne fracture - basically where the femur bone bends to enter hip.
At 4 pm I was taken to the block waiting area and at 5.40 pm into the block. As I was being anesthetized the surgeon said "amputation left foot, right?"- doctor's humour.
Basically they fix it by screwing the main hip bone back onto the femur ball with a bit of scaffolding like this:
The recovery room had been full of patients when I entered the block, when I came around a bit before 7pm it was dark. Just the bip biping of a monitor above my bed and a green glow lighting the vast room. I wondered if everyone had gone home but a nurse came back, asked if I was alright then wheeled me intensive care as they had no room in orthopedics.
The next day I saw a physio who gave me some crutches and got me to take a few hesitant steps. I was then taken upstairs to my own room in orthopedics with a view of the Rhone and Fourviere hill. I could see the doctors and nurses heading out for lunch runs along the river.
S+2: Another physio came, an English lady originally from Reading and I had to climb up and down a flight of stairs and walk a bit. This was all physically hard work. She asked where I was staying in Lyon - at my son's flat. Did it have a lift? Yes. Okay you are good to leave. They have a lot of pressure for beds and the week after was carnage in Lyon with people falling on the ice and snow. The surgeon came around to say the break had been clean but the operation had been really hard - TV stuff he said with a couple of nurses mopping his brow as he drilled. He said I had "dinosaur bones". I asked if he often operated on dinosaurs. "Hmm not that frequently now I mentioned it". I was signed off to the 17th March with a checkup on the 6th March. I asked about teleworking but the doctor said I'd need the time off to heal.
As it is classed as a work accident it is slightly advantageous for sick pay and for medical costs which are 100% covered by work.
My wife picked me up in her car from outside the hospital. We haven't returned home to Grenoble as the medical care is better in Lyon and our house has a steep staircase and no downstairs bedroom.
A nurse comes around daily to inject an anticoagulant and check the bandages.
S+2 to S+10: difficulty sleeping, very sore not moving in bed. I'm slowly getting better at walking with two crutches but it is quite tiring, especially with my sore shoulder. Stopped taking painkillers at S+10 as they were making me queasy.
S+12: finally getting almost a night's sleep. Saw the physio for the first time and started some very light exercises.
At this stage I don't know how things will progress or when I'll be able to walk, cycle, ski. but I'll update this thread when there is any significant progress. Work has been informed by the hospital that I may not be 100% fit for a year. I read that in older people there is a 30% morbidity rate for this kind of accident within 12 months due to other complications arising, including the surgery.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 5-05-24 21:40; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@davidof,
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I read that in older people there is a 30% morbidity rate for this kind of accident within 12 months due to other complications arising, including the surgery
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I don't know what's meant by 'older people', but in any event I'd stop reading if I were you! Seriously, that all sounds horrible and such bad luck. I wish you the speediest and fullest recovery possible and look forward to hearing that you're back on skis.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Awfully bad luck and hope you recover well and soon.
Anecdotally, a good friend of mine (late 60’s) had a similar injury whilst skiing last season (I witnessed the fall) and, in addition, broke his pelvis. Major surgery with plates and screws. You’d never know it now - he’s a fairly active fellow - and there are no obvious outward signs of the trauma almost a year later.
Good luck!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@davidof, best wished for the recovery. Mrs NBT had a similar injury some years ago after a fall and while her recovery had issues (avascular necrosis lead to a total hip replacement, though it's not a common occurrence) she is now physically fine in that area, albeit slightly weaker on that leg
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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David. Best wishes for recovery. I slipped on black ice in the car park at Avoriaz 2 years ago. Broke the head of my left femur. They pinned it and then sent me home (didn't want people staying in hospital with covid around). The only complication I had was that the pin started to 'escape' and stick out against the muscle and skin and I had to have it removed. I've had 6 monthly radio and consultations with the surgeon since but no problems with necrosis and he's now signed me off as healthy! I started piste skiing last winter and this winter (while we had snow locally) have done some piste and a little rando. I still lack the full strenght in my left leg but have got an ordonnance for another set of physio sessions to work on that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good luck. Looks nasty. Best wishes for recovery. Broken bones are no fun
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Broken bones are no fun, but do often heal up with fewer problems than soft tissue injuries. It's natural when you have an injury or illness to read up on the internet about it. When I broke my pelvis (ski crash) I read a lot about it and concluded that lots of people had been injured while horse riding (or shortly after ceasing to ride a horse....) and that many had been much more severely injured than I was. I found it quite interesting - and encouraging!
Most of us have to do our own anti-coagulant injections, @davidof!
Hope all goes well with your recovery. Don't envy you having to spend a long time on crutches - I was hopeless on crutches!
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@davidof, it looks horrendous. I hope you recover perfectly. It seems terrible injury for what sounds an run of the mill fall.
Is there any injury to the shoulder.
I think I would consider a year as the minimum recovery time, perhaps more so do not become too despondent during the summer.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ouch, that looks horrible. All good wishes for a full recovery.
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That sounds and looks horrible. Hopefully those dinosaur bones will heal nicely.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@davidof, that doesn't sound good at all! Best wishes for the recovery!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Origen wrote: |
Most of us have to do our own anti-coagulant injections, @davidof!
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yes I've done them before for a broken ankle but due to the work injury classification I have to have everything done by a nurse - well there are three that come - for insurance reasons.
As for older people we are talking 75-80 plus range.
I was very amused to be classed as "young" by the hospital.
I just started this thread as a recovery diary as there isn't that much online that I found.
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Get well soon!
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You know it makes sense.
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Commiserations - this'll be a tough winter for you.
Also, I think you put the wrong year - it's 2024 already!
And shouldn't the title start with "Breaking"? 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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You'll massively fitter than most of your age.
Your fitness should really aid your recovery..
I had a similar injury with my right humeral head mid June, and the recovery has been better than expected. My metalwork will remain in place, will yours. All the touring you've done and you break yourself crossing the road.
How's the other bits?
Here's to next season.
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Poster: A snowHead
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When my son had ankle fixed after a stupid tobogganing effort in Alpbach, the consultant he saw back in the UK said the job had been very well done in Innsbruck but that he might choose to have the ironmongery removed later. He said patients generally had a strong feeling, one way or the other, about this. My son decided in due course to have it all removed. On the other hand my brother, who broke his leg in a motorcycle accident (not his fault and he got paid compensation) decided to have his plate removed and then had several quite painful weeks of recovery after the surgeon had wrestled with it unsuccessfully (something about self tappers.....).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have done similar but a skiing fall on Dec 30th. Not the way to end one Yr and start a new one.
I had just got a 6 month visa for Austria and was looking forward to a full ski season.
Got just 4 days use of my season pass before being helicoptered off.
Surgery similar to yours, large piece of bone sticking out. Tried to load photos but can't work.out how.
After 6 days in hospital was allowed back to apartment, the car journey was not a lot of fun.
4 weeks post op, we are now looking to drive home, I can't fly due to low hemoglobin having lost a lot of blood.
So hoping you and I both make a good recovery.
I have been told at least 3 months on crutches
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Teletart, contact the lift company, you'll likely be able to get some form of refund due to the injury. Nothing in the grand scheme of things, but small mercies.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yes we have done that.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Teletart,  That sounds terrible all round. Hope you make a good recovery.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ouch! That sounds like terrible luck. Good luck with the recovery - I was skiing 10 months after my hip replacement, so I'm sure you'll be good for next season
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@davidof, looks like it has healed very well without any collapse which is good news for the function of the hip. Enjoy getting back to skiing !
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@kitenski, That looks unpleasant
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| altis wrote: |
Also, I think you put the wrong year - it's 2024 already!
And shouldn't the title start with "Breaking"? |
must have been the opiates, will fix
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Opiates are for whimps. Have a box and 90 per cent of a box I paid a lot of money for.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Sounds awful and such bad luck . Get well soon
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S+17 First walk outside since I got back from hospital. Did about 200m with crutches. I never liked the sloped pavements outside my son's flat, I like them even less now.
Not really progress as such.
I looked at my watch - I'm sleeping about 5 hours per night at the moment which is a bit of a PITA.
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You know it makes sense.
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@davidof,  commiserations
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@davidof, very bad luck. Hope you're up and about soon and the long-term effects are minimal.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Im now 5 weeks post op and still none weight bearing. Yes slopes are awful.
Will finally see a orthopedic surgeon here in Norfolk next week. Really hard to get a referral on the NHS.
Sleep does get easer, but I think week 4 post op is the toughest, I just didn't see any progress.
Stay positive.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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S+21: Walking with one crutch - useful for carrying stuff in the other hand
S+23: limited walking with no crutches, but a bit like a Sony robot
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Gosh your doing really well. I'm 5 weeks post op and still none weight bearing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@davidof, hang on in there, and as you'll probably appreciate if there was a season to miss for whatever reason, it could well be this one!
Be strong and concentrate on the rehab, all the best mate!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I just looked at the webcams (I hadn't looked for 3 weeks). It certainly is a stinker of a season unless you go > 2000m !
So I thought I'd catch up with posting some TR to my site... then i realised there are about 450 ski tours I've never posted I've got gpx files going back to 2002.
I'm going to work on the interesting ones, not stuff I've done multiple times.
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S+24: finally sleeping full nights and able to sleep on one side
S+28: walking without crutches and able to go up 1 flight of stairs. Sleeping both sides.
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@davidof, good news about sleeping  can you go down stairs yet?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| davidof wrote: |
S+24: finally sleeping full nights and able to sleep on one side
S+28: walking without crutches and able to go up 1 flight of stairs. Sleeping both sides. |
sounds like good progress. Well done et bonne continuation.
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